Dwight l



(No Model.) I 1 V D. L. SMITH 81; J. BUGHANAN- SLIDE BUCKLE- No; 551,605. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

ANDREW IGHANAMvPHOYOUTNQWASNINGYUN. D50.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT L. SMITH AND J CHN BUCHANAN, OF W'ATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE XVATERBITRY BUCKLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SLIDE-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,605, dated December 17, 1895. Application filed November 1, 1895. Serial No. 567,588. (in. model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DWIGHT L. SMITH and JOHN BUCHANAN, of W'aterbury,in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Slide-Buc-,

kles; and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a view in front elevation of a slidebuckle constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2, a rear View thereof; Fig. 3, a view in side elevation; Fig. 4:, a View of the buckle and webbing in vertical central section on the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detached view of the frame in front elevation; Fig. 6, a similar plan view thereof; Fig. 7, a similar edge view thereof; Fig. 8, a detached view of the partly-developed lever-blank; Fig. 9, a"

similar view of the-clinch-blank; Fig. 10, a view in front elevation of one of the modified forms which the device may assume, the lever being shown in its raised position.

Our invention relates to an improvement in that class of buckles which are known to the trade as slide-buckles, the object being to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, a buckle of the character referred to, which shall be composed of few parts, and be strong, convenient, and effective in use, and attractive in appearance.

lVith these ends in view our invention consists in a buckle having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings, the frame of the buckle is made from a single piece of wire, and comprises a horizontal presser-bar A, two rearwardly-inclined supporting-arms A A, respectively located at the ends of the said bar, two short suspensionar1ns A A arranged horizontally, and located at the lower ends of the arms A A and extending outward therefrom in opposite directions, two vertically-arranged end bars A A shorter than the arms-A A before mentioned, and merging at their lower ends into the suspension-bars A A- and two hori zontallyarranged inwardly-extending trunnions A A located at the upper ends of the end bars A A The lever B of the buckle is made of sheet metal and provided at its base, which is its upper end, with an inwardlyturned' toothed gripping-edge B and with two fingers respectively located at the opposite ends of the said edge and bent to form short tubular bearings B B receiving the trunnions A A of the frame. Inasmuch as the presser-bar is set back from the vertical plane of the trunnions, the clamping-edge of the lever is located in front of the said bar and coacts therewith, as shown in Fig. 3. The permanent attachment of the web to the buckle may be effected in different ways. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, it is done by means of a sheet-metal web-support or clinch C, bent upon itself or into U-shaped form, and having a central longitudinal slot C, adapting it to be passed downward over the presser-barA and the arms A A of the frame, those portions of the plate lying between the ends of the slot and the adjacent edges of the frame engaging with the suspension-arms A A of the frame, and the plain edge C and the toothed edge C of the clinch meeting below the said arms and receiving the end of the web between them. The said edges are held together by fingers C C, projecting in opposite directions from the edge C and folded around so as to grip the plain edge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 10 the frame D and lever E of the buckle are the same as the frame and lever already described; but instead of employing a clinch for the permanent attachment of the web to the frame we employ a web-su pport consisting of a wire suspension -bar F, having its ends turned upward and formed into eyes F F, which receive the suspension-arms of the frame. The webbing, it will be understood, is passed between the said suspension-arms of the frame and the suspension-bar of the wire and joined to itself by stitching, as indicated by the broken lines G, or in any other suitable manner. By constructing a slidebuckle as shown and described we are enabled to minimize the cost of manufacture,

inasmuch as we make one part of wire instead of making both parts of sheet metal. \Ve are also enabled to produce a strong article, as the strain upon buckles of this character is such that unless made very strong they will spread apart, which has been the objection. to these buckles when made of sheet metal.

Ourimproved buckle, on account of its peculiar construction, is very strong, and its parts or members will not separate under any strain to which it is subjected in use.

\Ve would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact construction shown and described, but hold ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described slide-buckle, having a wire frame comprising a presser-bar, trunnions, and suspension arms; a lever pivotally connected with the said trunnions, and having a clamping edge coacting with the said bar; and a web-support applied to the supporting arms of the frame and adapted to have one end of the webbing permanently connected with it, substantially as described.

2. The herein described slide-buckle having a Wire frame comprising a presser-bar, trunnions set forward of the said bar, and suspension arms; a lever pivotally connected with the said trunnions, and having an inwardly projecting gripping edge which coacts with the said bar; and a Web-support consisting of a sheet-metal clinch having a central slot adapting it to sit down over the said bar and to be engaged with the supporting arms of the frame, and the said support being constructed to have the end of a web inserted between its folded edges, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

D\VIGHT L. SMITH. JOHN BUC'IDiNAN.

Witn esses:

WM. L. KING, MINNIE M. TRIPP. 

